Singer Guy Blakeslee Surrenders on ‘Smile On’ (Song Premiere)

With Entrance Band bassist Paz Lenchantin busy touring with the Pixies, now is as good a time as any for singer and guitarist Guy Blakeslee to release “Ophelia Slowly,” his first solo album in 10 years. He premieres the single “Smile On” today on Speakeasy.

Blakeslee pours his startlingly rich voice over a sparse arrangement of jangling guitar and a programmed beat, lending an air of urgent desperation to a song that is optimistic at its core.

“‘Smile On’ is a song about surrender,” Blakeslee tells Speakeasy. “It tells a story about the bliss that can open up for us in our most desperate moments if we can accept and trust reality just as it is. The act of smiling changes our brainwaves, and there is magic and salvation available to us at any time if we are willing to try a new perspective.”

Not only is “Ophelia Slowly” Blakeslee’s first solo album in a decade, it’s his first ever under his own name. The Maryland-born musician started performing psychedelic rock by himself under the name as Entrance in the early 2000s, before building the project into a full-fledged band and changing the name with the 2009 album “The Entrance Band.” The group has toured with acts including Sonic Youth, Cat Power and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

“Ophelia Slowly” is due June 10 on Everloving Records. What do you think of “Smile On?” Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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